Election 2023: 10 Candidates For West Chester Area School Board

WEST CHESTER, PA — Ten candidates are running for five slots on the West Chester Area School Board in the November election.

All of the candidates cross-filed on both the Democratic and Republican ballots .

Important dates:

• Last day to register: Oct. 23
• Last day to apply from a mail-in ballot: Oct. 31
• Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 7.

Two teams

Four incumbents and one newcomer are running together on the platform “United for West Chester Area School Board.” The candidates stand up for student achievement, student voice, and student rights. They also stand for transparency, fiscal responsibility, and collaboration.Five candidates are running on a team that is endorsed by the “Back To Basics” political action team.

The candidates were selected based on their diverse backgrounds, commitment to serving the community, and balanced view on the best approach to issues facing the district.
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These are the candidates running for West Chester Area School Board in the May primary.

These are the candidates running for West Chester Area School Board in the May primary:

Region One covers parts of West Chester and West Goshen Township.
United For West Chester Area School Board candidates:

• Alex Christy, incumbent, earned a bachelor’s degree from West Chester University. Christy was appointed in March to fill the remainder of Dr. Kate Shaw's term after she was appointed to serve deputy secretary in the state Department of Education. He works in the Pennsylvania Senate advocating for reform. He said spent several years managing an inclusive, in-school Special Olympics program with the school district of Philadelphia. He works in the state legislature, where he works with school directors advocating for fair funding. He serves on the pupil services and education committees.
• Katy Frey was born and raised in Chester County. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida in environmental studies, and is pursuing a master’s degree in social work at Temple University. She is a former policy staff writer at Ballotpedia who reported on public education and water science.

Back to Basics candidates:

• Nick Spangler earned a bachelor of science in public service, a master’s of arts degree in public education, and a postgraduate graduate certification from Edinboro University. He has worked in special education and insurance. He is retired. If elected, he will approach the role as someone who asks questions,reviews data and relies on research before making decisions. He has three adult children and four grandchildren, including one enrolled in the district.
• Robert Rafetto is an alumnus of West Chester Area High School and University of Delaware. He has experience working in government andt restaurant industry. He is retired and is active with the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association. Spanger hopes to give back to his community. Rafetto has experience working on bipartisan legislation. He and Spangler are running as a team for region one.

Region Two covers East Goshen and West Whiteland townships.
United For West Chester Area School Board candidates:

• Dr. Karen Hermann was born and raised in the West Chester area. She graduated from Henderson High School. She earned a bachelor's degree in psychology, a master’s and doctorate in education leadership and at Immaculata University. She taught for 36 years, including 20 in the West Chester Area High School. She supports having a school district that represents all constituents.
• Daryl Durnell graduated from Henderson Senior High School and earned a bachelor of science from West Chester University and a master’s of education from Concordia University, Portland, Ore. He teaches fifth grade emotional support at Collegium Charter School. Durnell and his husband, Ed, live in East Goshen and have three adult children and one granddaughter. He serves on the pupil services committee and is chair of the education committee.

Back to Basics candidates:

• Amanda Greenberg has a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology with a focus on exercise science from Arizona State University and a master’s in elementary and special education from La Salle University. Greenberg is employed at a private school, where she teaches children to be independent thinkers. Greenberg has a husband and three children in the school district. She is passionate about passing down her family’s cultural background. She is Mexican and Jewish.
• Peggy Schmidt is a graduate of Temple University School of Dentistry and has been practicing dentistry in Delaware for more than three decades. Schmidt said she feels compelled to run for school board because the district is in need of an overhaul. As a Libertarian, Schmidt said she would be an independent thinker and observer and question the status quo.

Region Three covers East Bradford, Thornbury, Westtown, and West Goshen townships.

Back to Basic candidate:

• Alain Oliver earned a bachelor’s degree in economics at Emory University and a master’s in business administration at Penn State University. Born in Cuba, he is bilingual and works in the nonprofit sector. Oliver migrated to the United States when he was an infant. He sees public service as a way to give back to his community. He and his wife lived in Chester County for nearly 20 years. They have four children enrolled in the district.

United For West Chester Area School Board candidate:

• Gary Bevilacqua, board vice president, earned a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering at Villanova University and a master’s degree in project management at George Washington University. He worked in the Aerospace industry as an engineer, project engineer, and spacecraft program manager for GE Aerospace, Martin Marietta, and Lockheed Martin. He works for Vanguard as a technical manager in the IT department. Bevilacqua volunteers throughout the community, including coaching soccer, lacrosse, and basketball. He and his wife, Cindy, have two children and five grandchildren.